Aberdeen needs to improve customer service

June 25, 2008

If Aberdeen were to be graded on its customer service - across the board - it would probably only earn a C-. Local employees are - for the most part - polite. But that's about as far as it goes in the customer service department. We can all do better. Our community is sitting on the cusp of a new future. That future will involve dozens, if not hundreds, of people who will move here to set down roots and be a part of our work force, our schools and our consumer base. Each business - in fact, each person - needs to know, understand and implement better customer service. Right now we are far less than perfect when it comes to how we treat customers. Make no mistake, we are including our own business. We all own a piece of this. There are a multitude of aspects to excellent customer service. Susan Ward, a writer for about.com shared an excellent definition from the ACA Group, a California-based company that specializes in customer service consulting, that really sums up what we all need to be striving for: “excellent customer service (is) the ability of an organization to constantly and consistently exceed the customer's expectations.” Too many times this isn't the case in Aberdeen. Fortunately, there are leaders in customer service from whom we can learn. The Disney company, for example. Disney's customer service is world-reknown. In fact, Jim Cunningham of Disney University Professional Development Programs presents a program called "Service, Disney Style," in which he has shared some of Disney's customer service philosophies and goals. Cunningham said Disney takes two points seriously in its view of customer service. First, "the front line is the bottom line," and second, "it's 10 percent product and 90 percent service." "Disney employees constantly ask, 'What makes us Disney? What makes us different? It should be the rallying cry for any business," Cunningham said. In other words, customer service is more than just being polite. We've got the polite part down here in Aberdeen. But we need to take customer service to the next level. We need to not only be polite, but also be proactive in terms of meeting customer needs, anticipating customer needs and promoting the best possible image of the business and our community. Take, for example a citation of excellent customer service posted by one Internet blogger. The blogger witnessed a fast-food restaurant employee being treated shabbily by a customer who complained that her child's drink cup was faulty. The customer demanded a new drink for the child, refusing to pay. In actuality, said the blogger, the woman had an unruly child who stepped on his own drink cup. The employee, said the blogger, responded warmly that he'd be happy to give her a new drink and come clean up the mess. And he did so promptly and efficiently. This particular blogger came away so impressed with the fast-food chain that he or she proceeded to brag on it to millions of potential customers. That is the power that excellent customer service can bring to a business - and a community. And it's a lesson we should all adopt and implement. About letters... Letters are limited to one every 30 days and priority is given to those from the Aberdeen area. They are limited to 250 words. A daytime telephone number and street address or box number are needed for verification, though they will not be printed. The American News will edit the letters for accuracy; it is not our policy to knowingly print wrong information. - THE EDITOR